CHAPTER XLVI.
SAINT-AIGNAN FOLLOWS MALICORNE'S ADVICE.
The king most assiduously followed the progress which was made in LaValliere's portrait; and did so with a care and attention arising asmuch from a desire that it should resemble her as from the wish that thepainter should prolong the period of its completion as much as possible.It was amusing to observe him following the artist's brush, awaiting thecompletion of a particular plan, or the result of a combination ofcolors, and suggesting various modifications to the painter, which thelatter consented to adopt with the most respectful docility ofdisposition. And again, when the artist, following Malicorne's advice,was a little late in arriving, and when Saint-Aignan had been obliged tobe absent for some time, it was interesting to observe, though no onewitnessed them, those moments of silence full of deep expression, whichunited in one sigh two souls most disposed to understand each other, andwho by no means objected to the quiet and meditation they enjoyedtogether.
The minutes fled rapidly by, as if on wings: and as the king drew closerto Louise and bent his burning gaze upon her, a noise was suddenly heardin the anteroom. It was the artist, who had just arrived: Saint-Aignan,too, had returned, full of apologies: and the king began to talk, and LaValliere to answer him very hurriedly, their eyes revealing toSaint-Aignan that they had enjoyed a century of happiness during hisabsence. In a word, Malicorne, philosopher that he was, though he knewit not, had learned how to inspire the king with an appetite in themidst of plenty, and with desire in the assurance of possession. LaValliere's fears of interruption had never been realized, and no oneimagined she was absent from her apartment two or three hours every day.She pretended that her health was very uncertain: those who went to herroom always knocked before entering, and Malicorne, the man of so manyingenious inventions, had constructed an acoustic piece of mechanism, bymeans of which La Valliere, when in Saint-Aignan's apartment, was alwaysforewarned of any visits which were paid to the room she usuallyinhabited. In this manner, therefore, without leaving her own room, andhaving no confidante, she was able to return to her apartment, thusremoving by her appearance, a little tardy perhaps, the suspicions ofthe most determined skeptics. Malicorne having asked Saint-Aignan thenext morning what news he had to report, the latter had been obliged toconfess that the quarter of an hour's liberty had made the king in mostexcellent humor.
"We must double the dose," replied Malicorne, "but insensibly so; waituntil they seem to wish it."
They were so desirous for it, however, that on the evening of the fourthday, at the moment when the painter was packing up his paintingimplements, during Saint-Aignan's continued absence, Saint-Aignan on hisreturn noticed upon La Valliere's face a shade of disappointment andvexation, which she could not conceal. The king was less reserved, andexhibited his annoyance by a very significant shrug of the shoulders, atwhich La Valliere could not help blushing.
"Very good!" thought Saint-Aignan to himself; "M. Malicorne will bedelighted this evening;" as he, in fact, was when it was reported tohim.
"It is very evident," he remarked to the comte, "that Mademoiselle de laValliere hoped that you would be at least ten minutes later."
"And the king that I should be half an hour later, dear MonsieurMalicorne."
"You will be but very indifferently devoted to the king," replied thelatter, "if you were to refuse his majesty that half hour'ssatisfaction."
"But the painter?" objected Saint-Aignan.
"I will take care of him," said Malicorne, "only I must study faces andcircumstances a little before I act; those are my magical inventions andcontrivances: and while sorcerers are enabled by means of theirastrolabe to take the altitude of the sun, moon, and stars, I amsatisfied merely by looking into people's faces, in order to see iftheir eyes are encircled with dark lines, and if the mouth describes aconvex or concave arc."
And the cunning Malicorne had every opportunity of watching narrowlyand closely, for the very same evening the king accompanied the queen toMadame's apartments, and made himself so remarked by his serious faceand his deep sighs, and looked at La Valliere with such a languishingexpression, that Malicorne said to Montalais during the evening:"To-morrow." And he went off to the painter's house in the street of theJardins Saint-Paul to beg him to postpone the next sitting for a coupleof days. Saint-Aignan was not within, when La Valliere, who was nowquite familiar with the lower story, lifted up the trap-door anddescended. The king, as usual, was waiting for her on the staircase, andheld a bouquet in his hand; as soon as he saw her, he clasped hertenderly in his arms. La Valliere, much moved at the action, lookedaround the room, but as she saw the king was alone, she did not complainof it. They sat down, the king reclining near the cushions on whichLouise was seated, with his head supported by her knees, placed there asin an asylum whence no one could banish him; he gazed ardently upon her,and as if the moment had arrived when nothing could interpose betweentheir two hearts; she, too, gazed with similar passion upon him, andfrom her eyes, so soft and pure, there emanated a flame, whose raysfirst kindled and then inflamed the heart of the king, who, tremblingwith happiness as Louise's hand rested on his head, grew giddy fromexcess of joy, and momentarily awaited either the painter's orSaint-Aignan's return to break the sweet illusion. But the door remainedclosed, and neither Saint-Aignan nor the painter appeared, nor did thehangings even move. A deep mysterious silence reigned in the room--asilence which seemed to influence even the birds in their gilded prison.The king, completely overcome, turned round his head and buried hisburning lips in La Valliere's hands, who, herself, faint with excess ofemotion, pressed her trembling hands against her lover's lips. Louisthrew himself upon his knees, and as La Valliere did not move her head,the king's forehead being within reach of her lips, she furtivelypassed her lips across the perfumed locks which caressed her cheeks. Theking seized her in his arms, and, unable to resist the temptation, theyexchanged their first kiss--that burning kiss, which changes love into adelirium. Suddenly, a noise upon the upper floor was heard, which had,in fact, continued, though it had remained unnoticed, for some time; ithad at last aroused La Valliere's attention, though but slowly so. Asthe noise, however, continued, as it forced itself upon the attention,and recalled the poor girl from her dreams of happiness to the sadreality of life, she arose in a state of utter bewilderment, thoughbeautiful in her disorder, saying: "Some one is waiting, forabove--Louis, Louis, do you not hear?"
"Well! and am I not waiting for you, also?" said the king, with infinitetenderness of tone. "Let others henceforth wait for you."
But she gently shook her head, as she replied, "Concealed happiness ...concealed power ... my pride should be silent as my heart."
The noise was again resumed.
"I hear Montalais's voice," she said, and she hurried up the staircase;the king followed her, unable to let her leave his sight, and coveringher hand with his kisses. "Yes, yes," repeated La Valliere, who hadpassed half-way through the opening, "Yes, it is Montalais who iscalling me; something important must have happened."
"Go, then, dearest love," said the king, "but return quickly."
"No, no, not to-day, sire! Adieu, adieu!" she said, as she stooped downonce more to embrace her lover, and then escaped. Montalais was, infact, waiting for her, very pale and agitated.
"Quick, quick! he is coming!" she said.
"Who--who is coming?"
"Raoul," murmured Montalais.
"It is I--I," said a joyous voice upon the last steps of the grandstaircase.
La Valliere uttered a terrible shriek, and threw herself back.
"I am here, dear Louise," said Raoul, running toward her. "I knew buttoo well that you had not ceased to love; me."
La Valliere, with a gesture, partly of extreme terror, and partly as ifinvoking a curse, attempted to speak, but could not articulate one word."No, no!" she said, as she fell into Montalais's arms, murmuring: "Donot touch me, do not come near me."
Montalais made a sign to Raoul, who stood almost petrified at the d
oor,and did not even attempt to advance another step into the room. Then,looking toward the side of the room where the screen was, she exclaimed:"Imprudent girl, she has not even closed the trap-door."
And she advanced toward the corner of the room to close the screen, andalso, behind the screen, the trap-door. But suddenly the king, who hadheard Louise's exclamation, darted through the opening, and hurriedforward to her assistance. He threw himself on his knees before her, ashe overwhelmed Montalais with questions, who hardly knew where she was.At the moment, however, that the king threw himself on his knees, a cryof utter despair rang through the corridor, accompanied by the sound ofretreating footsteps. The king wished to see who had uttered the cry,and whose were the footsteps he had heard: and it was in vain thatMontalais sought to retain him, for Louis, quitting his hold of LaValliere, hurried toward the door, too late, however, for Raoul wasalready at a distance, and the king saw only a kind of shadow turningthe angle of the corridor.